Sustainable Energy Systems MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Engineering

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

School of Engineering

College

College of Science and Engineering

Study location

King's Buildings campus

Accreditation

Available

Apply now

17 to 19 November 2026: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

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About the degree programme

The energy crisis is forcing the world to secure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. 

Our MSc programme in Sustainable Energy Systems will equip you to contribute to a more sustainable future.

The programme is grounded in engineering, but you will be encouraged to consider the societal, economic, environmental and policy aspects of the industry.

We place a strong emphasis on energy systems, where electricity is the final product, and you will consider energy in the wider context of resources, conversion technologies, consumption patterns, efficiency and regulation.

You will acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the deployment of renewable energies in grid-connected systems, and will also be able to explore off-grid systems if this is your area of interest.

United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals

Based on our compulsory course material, this degree aligns with many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the top three being:

  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG logo

Programme rankings

  • The School of Engineering is consistently ranked in the UK's top 10 universities for engineering (Times Higher Education rankings by subject 2026 and QS World University rankings by subject 2026).
  • The School of Engineering’s joint submission with Heriot-Watt University in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) was ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education, based on the quality and breadth of our combined research.
  • The University of Edinburgh is ranked 4th in the world and 2nd in the UK for sustainability, recognising our leadership in creating a more sustainable world (2026 QS World University Rankings).

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place:

  • £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

How and when to pay the deposit

Costs

Additional programme costs

You may wish to consider purchasing your own laptop, however you can also make use of our laptop and internet loan services for free while studying with us.

While some students purchase key academic textbooks, all essential reading materials will be freely available through the University library.

IT Requirements and Support

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

he College of Science and Engineering is offering an international scholarship for the most academically gifted postgraduate taught (PGT) masters students applying from France, Germany and Spain. These awards, which cover £10,000 towards tuition fees for PGT masters students studying on campus will be tenable for the first year of study only. 

Value: £10,000
View details: Find out more about the European Merit Scholarships

The University is offering an international scholarship for the most academically gifted postgraduate taught (PGT) masters students applying from India. These awards, which cover £5,000 towards tuition fees for PGT masters students studying on campus will be tenable for the first year of study only. 

Value: £5,000
View details: Find out more about the India Merit Scholarships

The University is offering an international scholarship for the most academically gifted postgraduate taught (PGT) masters students applying from China. These awards, which cover £2,500 towards tuition fees for PGT masters students studying on campus will be tenable for the first year of study only. 

Value: £2500
View details: Find out more about the China Merit Scholarship

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in engineering or physics.
 
If you apply with a background in another field, you may be accepted if you hold either:
• a UK first class honours degree, or its international equivalent, and have studied mathematics to first year undergraduate level, OR
• a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in addition to extensive professional experience or knowledge in the field of Sustainable Energy Systems involving a range of engineering aspects.
 
You must also be able to demonstrate a strong interest in the energy sector.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 92 with 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 4.5 with at least 4.5 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

The programme runs over 12 months. You will take two semesters of taught courses followed by a research project leading to the submission of your masters dissertation.

The courses correspond to 120 credits of taught material, plus 60 credits of a research project.

Semester 1

You will establish interdisciplinary foundations in sustainable-energy technologies and contexts, energy and environmental economics, and either mechanical or electrical engineering fundamentals, alongside optional courses reflecting your interests. 

Semester 2 

You will develop specialist knowledge of wind, solar photovoltaic and marine energy, while building dissertation-ready skills in data, research methods, uncertainty, teamwork and communication, alongside further optional courses.

Research project and dissertation

After the completion of your taught courses, you will focus exclusively on a research project and dissertation over the summer. You will be able to develop your own project under the supervision of one of our academics and you could work collaboratively with industry or other organisations. 

The project is conducted across highly relevant and multidisciplinary themes, within the Institute for Energy Systems and increasingly across other institutes within the School of Engineering.

We offer a wide range of topics including:

  • Wind energy
  • Solar energy
  • Tidal energy
  • Wave energy
  • Life cycle assessment in energy systems
  • Carbon capture and storage
  • Energy demand management and storage
  • Smart grids
  • Decarbonisation of transport
  • Decarbonisation of heating and cooling
  • Policy and innovation in energy systems

Sustainability

Compulsory course material on this programme reflects the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily:

  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • SDG 13: Climate Action

Depending on the optional courses you choose to take, you will have the opportunity to explore others.

Further your knowledge of sustainability with our free training and resources

Social and civic responsibility is a key focus of the University.

Learn more about our focus on social and civic responsibility in our Climate Strategy

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will learn through a combination of different teaching methods including: 

  • taught modules 
  • coursework 
  • design projects 
  • guest lectures 
  • workshops 
  • your MSc research dissertation 
  • a number of career-supporting activities

On this programme, you will:

  • benefit from the programme’s multidisciplinary design, with courses, teaching staff and supervisors drawn from our Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical and Civil engineering disciplines
  • acquire in-depth technical knowledge, balanced with practical experience
  • actively undertake research
  • engage with the Institute for Energy Systems
  • access world-class research facilities
  • gain opportunities to work with industry
Skills development

We support your skills development through the Skills for Success Framework. This embeds 10 key skills across your programme to benefit your current studies and future employability.

On this programme, you will specifically experience:​

  • Applying critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to analyse and design sustainable-energy systems under technical, environmental, economic, societal and regulatory constraints.
  • Developing data and digital literacy by evaluating evidence, using computational and analytical methods, and accounting for uncertainty in energy-system decisions.
  • Collaborating and communicating effectively through team activities and the presentation of evidence, analyses and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences. 
Sample timetable

This is a sample timetable. Courses may change from year-to-year and your own timetable may differ.

Monday
  • 12:10pm to 1pm - Electrical Engineering Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (lecture)
Tuesday
  • 2:10pm to 3pm - Distributed Energy Resources and Smart Grids (lecture)
Wednesday
  • 9am to 10:50am - Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (lecture)
  • 11:10am to 12pm - Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (seminar)
Thursday
  • 9am to 10:50am - Sustainable Energy Context and Technologies (seminar)
  • 3:10pm to 5pm - Energy and Environmental Economics (lecture)
Friday
  • 9am to 1pm - Sustainable Energy Context and Technologies (seminar)

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the programme, you will be able to:

  • apply advanced scientific, mathematical and engineering principles to analyse and model sustainable-energy systems
  • evaluate sustainable-energy technologies and design solutions under technical, environmental, economic, societal and regulatory constraints
  • select and critically evaluate evidence, data, computational methods and technical literature, accounting appropriately for uncertainty
  • assess energy-system challenges from a whole-system perspective, including energy security, equity, affordability and environmental sustainability
  • undertake independent research that contributes to contemporary sustainable-energy challenges in academic or industrial settings
  • communicate evidence, analyses and recommendations effectively to technical and non-technical audiences, while working effectively both independently and collaboratively

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Accreditation

Accreditation of this programme for CEng (Further Learning) means that our graduates who are seeking to become Chartered Engineers can count their MSc award as one year of Further Learning when applying for the Chartered Engineer status.

The CEng accreditation has to date been awarded by the Energy Institute (EI), which is an independent professional body. It gives students and employers confidence in the quality of this programme.

Accreditation by the EI is awarded through a renewal-based and periodic accreditation review process which is currently underway for the academic year 2026/27 onwards.

Students from the School of Engineering can sign up to become Student member of the EI free of charge for the duration of their studies.

Energy Institute

Career opportunities

University of Edinburgh graduates are ranked 33rd in the world by employers (QS World University Rankings 2026) and 10th in the UK for the employability (Times Higher Education, Global Employability University Ranking 2026).

University of Edinburgh entrepreneurs create an impact of £162million and support 1,830 jobs through start-ups and spin-outs.

90.9% of School of Engineering taught postgraduates go on to highly skilled employment or further study and 85.7% agree that their current activity aligns with their plans for the future. 82.76% receive a graduate salary ranging from £25,000-£45,000.  (Data from the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023/24 which gathers information about the activities and perspectives of graduates 15 months after their degree programme ends).

As a graduate from our MSc Sustainable Energy Systems programme, you will be equipped to go into a wide range of careers anywhere in the world, such as: 

  • Consultants for power systems, energy and environment or renewable energy
  • Electrical engineers
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Subsea engineers
  • Civil or structural engineers
  • Automotive engineers

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

The University’s award-winning Careers Service is here to support all current students and graduates for up to two years. Our careers team provide support to students throughout university and beyond.

Careers support includes:

  • CV and application support
  • Preparing for interviews
  • Building and reflecting on skills development
  • Finding part-time work
  • Graduate job search
  • All current students and recent graduates have exclusive access to MyCareerHub, our vacancy database, where we advertise 1000s of vacancies every year.
  • Access to a range of subscription-based services, such as CareerSet for online CV checking.
  • Host large University-wide careers events

Visit the Careers Service website  

The International Student Hub on the Careers Service has advice on working during studies and working after graduation both in the UK and elsewhere.

Visit the International student hub

Entrepreneurship

We foster an entrepreneurial culture, offering students extensive support through Edinburgh Innovations, which includes business advice, workshops, and networking to encourage startups and enterprise development.

Visit the Edinburgh Innovations for students website  

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 3 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
13 September 2027 30 August 2027

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

When to submit your supporting documents

You must submit all supporting documents by the application deadline, or we will be unable to consider your application. Regardless of when you apply, you have 28 days from submitting your application to supply any supporting documents through the Application Hub, after which we will automatically reject your application.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You must submit one reference with your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. We aim to make admissions decisions on completed applications within 6 to 8 weeks of receipt. However, due to the large number of applications we receive, decisions may take longer during busy periods.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you need to apply for a student visa, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Phone line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)131 650 5737

Academic contact

Dr Brian Sellar

Programme Director

Contact details

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